Spiritual Defilement
TRANSLATION
(1) Then the Pharisees and teachers of the Law came to Jesus from Jerusalem saying, (2) “Why do your disciples violate the tradition of the elders, for they do not wash their hands when they eat.” (3) And he answered them saying, “Why do you likewise violate the commandment of God because of your tradition? (4) For God commanded, ‘Honor your father and your mother’ and ‘Whoever curses father or mother must be put to death.’ (5) But you say, ‘Whoever says to father or mother, “Whatever help you might have expected from me is ‘devoted to God,’ (6) that person does not need to honor father nor mother.”’ You have nullified the Word of God because of your tradition. (7) You hypocrites! Isaiah rightly prophesied about you saying, (8) ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. (9) In vain do they worship me, teaching as authoritative man-made precepts.’”
(10) And he called the people to him and said to them, “Listen and understand. (11) It is not that which enters the mouth that defiles a person but that which comes out of the mouth. This is what defiles the person.” (12) Then the disciples came to him and said, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this?” (13) He answered, “Every plant which my heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. (14) Leave them alone. They are blind guides, and if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into the pit.” (15) Then Peter said to him, “Explain the parable to us.” (16) And he said, “Are you still unable to understand? (17) Do you not see that whatever enters the mouth passes into the stomach and is finally eliminated? (18) However, whatever comes out of the mouth comes from the heart, and this is what defiles, (19) for out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. (20) These are what defile a person, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone.”
OBSERVATIONS
Repeated words and phrases again lead us to an understanding of this segment’s thrust. “Pharisees” and “disciples” both appeared twice (vss. 1, 2, & 12). The verb, “violate,” was used twice (vss. 2 & 3) while the noun, “tradition,” is found three times (vss. 2, 3, & 6). “Wash their hands” (vs. 2) was echoed by “unwashed hands” (vs. 20). “Commandment(s)/commanded” is found three times (vss. 3, 4, & 9). “Father/mother” is also found three times (vss. 4 & 5) along with one additional occurrence of “father” (vs. 6). In the second paragraph we find “defile(s)” five times (vss. 11, 18, & 20), “plant/planted” (twice in vs. 13), “blind” (three times in vs. 14), and “mouth” and “heart” each used twice (vss. 17, 18, & 19).
OUTLINE
I. Jesus defended his disciples against the Pharisees’ criticism of their eating with unwashed hands. (1-9)
II. Jesus taught that defilement comes not from outside but from within. (10-20)
IDEA STATEMENT
We are defiled not by what we take into our bodies but rather by what comes out of our hearts.
APPLICATION
If the source of defilement were external, we could mount the necessary defenses to shield ourselves from outside contaminants. However, since the problem lies within us, namely in hearts that are already corrupt, the battle requires a different strategy. That is why Jesus responded the way he did to the Pharisees’ finding fault with his disciples failing to wash their hands before eating according to Jewish tradition. Instead, he accused them of violating the fourth commandment which required that children honor their parents. By using resources that should have gone toward their aging parents’ needs to fund their selfish “devotions,” these observant Jews had essentially dishonored God. So harsh were Jesus’ words regarding this hypocrisy that his disciples warned him that the Pharisees had been deeply offended by his teaching.
Peter’s request for further explanation led Jesus to a rather lengthy discussion of spiritual contamination. What we eat has nothing to do with spiritual defilement. While we may get physically sick from eating rotting food or ingesting poisonous substances, spiritual defilement comes from within, from corrupt hearts that give expression to corrupt thoughts, words, and actions. Neither washing hands nor any other external measures can cleanse a defiled heart. Only God’s supernatural transformation of our inner beings by means of spiritual regeneration can resolve that issue. That is precisely what Jesus conveyed to Nicodemus when he came by night: “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again (inwardly transformed by the Holy Spirit), he cannot see the kingdom of God” (Jn. 3:3).